The Secret about Christmas
by lezonne
Summary: Molly hates that Gideon is often a Christmas Scrooge. She intends to remind him just why they used to love the holiday so much. Written for the Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition Round 5 Season 2


Written for the Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition Season 2 Round 5. Prompts frostbite, tiptoe and bag.

* * *

He's never been one for Christmas presents. He finds the notion of setting items under a tree and waiting for gifts to appear there to be tedious and overdone. He would rather everyone just hand him the presents.

I on the other hand think Christmas is one of the happiest times of the year. Sharing your gift with family and friends, trying to tiptoe downstairs in the wee hours of the morning to spy on early presents, and making Christmas cookies are true joys to me. I loved setting up the decorations and getting ready for family to come over when we were younger and living at home.

But now we both attend Hogwarts and this year our parents have decided to go on a romantic getaway for the holidays. I admit that I'm disappointed that we won't be home for the holidays, but this opens up a whole new opportunity! Now I can experience my first Christmas at Hogwarts.

If only Gideon felt the same way. A few of his friends are staying for the holidays as well, and he could care less about spending any time with me. He's so caught up in his Hogwarts experiences the past few years that he's forgotten about Christmas, much less the importance of family.

I am going to change that. Or I'm at least going to try.

"Is your bag big enough?" someone says, catching my attention. I've been hauling supplies through Hogwarts all morning to surprise my brother.

"Not yet," I say, tipping my winter hat. "I have to set everything up."

"There's already a tree in the common room you know," he replies with a smile. "You don't have to drag everything up there."

I wink, during away from him. "I don't have a tree in there, just something much better."

"If you say so Molly."

* * *

I set everything up perfectly for my brother. He's an early riser and I just know that he'll be the first student up this morning in my house. And I am counting on that. After setting up everything I need I've hidden nearby to await his arrival.

On time, exactly six in the morning as usual he appears with a cup of tea in his hand and sleep in his eyes. Before the other students get up this morning I want him to experience a true, perfect Christmas morning.

He stops halfway down the stairs, looking out at the setting I've created. For a moment he's stoic, completely unmoved by what he sees. Then a smile cracks across his face, and the cold exterior disappears.

"Molly," he says with a gentle shake of his head. I pop out of hiding, holding my arms out wide.

"I told you Christmas wasn't that bad."

Gideon hates the tackiness of Christmas, with miscellaneous colors thrown together and people pushing others around to get ideal gifts. Yet he's been focused on gifts for the past two months, and that's the one thing absent from my décor.

"I knew it was you because you're the only person I know who thinks Christmas doesn't have to be about presents."

"That's because it's not," I chuckle. "I've told you that before. Mum and dad are not super well off, but at least they buy gifts most of the time. Of course, I have yours."

"Well, where are they?" he asks, tilting his head. "It's not Christmas without presents."

"It's not about the presents. Christmas is much more than gifts. I know you haven't enjoyed Christmas in a long time, but I am determined that you are going to love it after today."

"Oh Molly, it's not going to work. Christmas is a tedious holiday that causes people to overspend on presents that others won't let you open," he said, eyeing me in annoyance, "And it's a big waste of time. You don't want to waste any more time on Christmas."

I grin at him, holding my arms out. "But isn't it grand? Without the tacky off-gold and too bright greens and reds the decorations aren't too hideous are they?"

He scrunches up his face uncertainly, looking over the room. "They aren't killer anyway."

"Exactly. There's something you can hate about Christmas a little bit less."

"I suppose," he grumbles, looking around the room. "You really outdid yourself doing this one Molly. It's very… bright."

"It's like a subtle wonderland," I reply, crossing my arms. "Since I know how much you enjoy silver I thought it would be better to highlight the things about Christmas that you can tolerate."

"But why?" he asks, eyeing me curiously. "Why go through all this just to see if I might finally like Christmas? Why is it so important to you?"

"Because," I say, "Christmas is all about family and love and appreciation, not gifts. It's time that you realize Christmas can be better than the cheap gifts you tend to complain about."

His eyes twinkle for the shortest of moments, and we're back to the same standoff we always end up in. He's uncertain whether or not to believe me, and it is at this point that I usually lose him. He slips back into himself, refusing to be nothing more than a Christmas Scrooge. But I will not let him slip back into his Christmas-naysaying this time.

"Look out the window," I say, smiling. "Enjoy the first frost of Christmas."

"More like frostbite," he comments, standing to glance out the open window. The winter-wonderland outside does little to deter his judgment on the holiday. "There's nothing anymore special about this frost than any other."

"Maybe not to you," I say, stepping up beside him, "But many people love the first frost of Christmas. A white Christmas is a perfect Christmas."

"Or a frozen Christmas."

I shake my head. He's slipping again, back into his disdain for the holiday. As a last resort I reach into my pocket, knowing the surprise inside will make him smile. It's our secret surprise, the one thing that we believed used to make Christmas what it is.

It's a secret we would share with no-one, something we haven't spoken of in a long time. Pulling out the box I set it in his hand, surprising my brother with the unexpected package.

"Happy Christmas Gideon," I say, turning as I rub the sleep from my eyes. It's been a long night. "I hope it turns out to be the best yet."

I leave him then, climbing the stairs back towards my common room to sleep through the early-morning glee of those who stayed here for the holiday. Before turning the corner out of sight of the common room I glance back, checking to see if he opened it.

He's smiling- a true smile. And on Christmas of all things! He just needed a little reminder about what used to make Christmas so special to us.

But that's our Christmas secret.


End file.
